Connections to Growth Hormone Deficiency?

[Guest guest]

Hello all. Does anyone on this board know of a potential connection between

autism and growth hormone deficiency (or " pituitary dwarfism " )?

At about age 3 1/2, my son (now age 8 1/2) began exhibiting a range of

autism-like " developmental differences. " These differences include flapping

behaviors, poor social skills, difficulties with expressive language, severe

internal distraction, occasional subject matter obsessions, and sensory

integration issues. The various experts that we've consulted over the years do

not consider my son's differences severe enough to warrant an autism spectrum

diagnosis, primarily, it seems, because he's so sweet/smart/charming/cooperative

when engaged one-on-one. Also, he doesn't have any of the dietary/digestive

issues that seem to plague a lot of autistic kids. At this point, we just call

it " Oops Wrong Planet Syndrome, " and are thankful that the school district

provides us with a full time aide in a mainstream classroom despite the absence

of an ASD label.

Anyway, my son's growth started to taper off at age five, and he was diagnosed

with a growth hormone deficiency about six months ago. He's responding very

nicely to synthetic growth hormone therapy, but I can't help wondering if there

isn't a connection between the physical growth problem and the behavioral

differences.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts that you may share.

First Time Poster

[Guest guest]

> Hello all. Does anyone on this board know of a potential connection between

autism and growth hormone deficiency (or " pituitary dwarfism " )?

You mean other than that mercury concentrates in the pituitary and

hypothalamus, and that low growth hormone levels are unusually common

in mercury toxic autistic children?

>

> At about age 3 1/2, my son (now age 8 1/2) began exhibiting a range of

autism-like " developmental differences. " These differences include flapping

behaviors, poor social skills, difficulties with expressive language, severe

internal distraction, occasional subject matter obsessions, and sensory

integration issues. The various experts that we've consulted over the years do

not consider my son's differences severe enough to warrant an autism spectrum

diagnosis, primarily, it seems, because he's so sweet/smart/charming/cooperative

when engaged one-on-one. Also, he doesn't have any of the dietary/digestive

issues that seem to plague a lot of autistic kids. At this point, we just call

it " Oops Wrong Planet Syndrome, " and are thankful that the school district

provides us with a full time aide in a mainstream classroom despite the absence

of an ASD label.

>

> Anyway, my son's growth started to taper off at age five, and he was diagnosed

with a growth hormone deficiency about six months ago. He's responding very

nicely to synthetic growth hormone therapy, but I can't help wondering if there

isn't a connection between the physical growth problem and the behavioral

differences.

>

> Thanks in advance for any thoughts that you may share.

>

> First Time Poster

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Andy. That's exactly what I wanted to know.

Suzanne, the (Former) First Time Poster

-------------- Original message --------------

> Hello all. Does anyone on this board know of a potential connection between

autism and growth hormone deficiency (or " pituitary dwarfism " )?

You mean other than that mercury concentrates in the pituitary and

hypothalamus, and that low growth hormone levels are unusually common

in mercury toxic autistic children?

>

> At about age 3 1/2, my son (now age 8 1/2) began exhibiting a range of

autism-like " developmental differences. " These differences include flapping

behaviors, poor social skills, difficulties with expressive language, severe

internal distraction, occasional subject matter obsessions, and sensory

integration issues. The various experts that we've consulted over the years do

not consider my son's differences severe enough to warrant an autism spectrum

diagnosis, primarily, it seems, because he's so sweet/smart/charming/cooperative

when engaged one-on-one. Also, he doesn't have any of the dietary/digestive

issues that seem to plague a lot of autistic kids. At this point, we just call

it " Oops Wrong Planet Syndrome, " and are thankful that the school district

provides us with a full time aide in a mainstream classroom despite the absence

of an ASD label.

>

> Anyway, my son's growth started to taper off at age five, and he was diagnosed

with a growth hormone deficiency about six months ago. He's responding very

nicely to synthetic growth hormone therapy, but I can't help wondering if there

isn't a connection between the physical growth problem and the behavioral

differences.

>

> Thanks in advance for any thoughts that you may share.

>

> First Time Poster

>

>